Still Not Using Video? Scroll Down to Avoid Further Marketing Shame

Video is predicted to be one of the hot trends of 2015, and only one month into the new year, this forecast is playing out through a flurry of new product developments, which are making it easier and easier to tell stories visually.

If done well, video effectively addresses the issue of the incredibly shrinking attention span by making stories more engaging and easier to digest. A recent article on SocialMediaToday, reports that 75% of executives watch videos at least once a week, (50% watch videos on YouTube, and 65% visit the website after viewing a video). Those are HUGE numbers. On the ecommerce side of things, it was also reported that high quality videos can increase shopping cart sizes by 174%. Again, HUGE!

So if your plans for adopting more video this year are off to a slow start, here are some tips to help you get busy building video momentum before the end of Q1 -- and more importantly, before your boss sends you a link to some killer video your competitor just posted.

Think Small and Nimble

While video was once assumed to be a big ticket expense, requiring specialty equipment and talent, social media has opened up loads of cost-effective alternatives for sharing a story visually. If you're not already, it's time to start thinking about how you can use these new tools to your advantage and identify internal talent to help you create new content:

In late January, Twitter unveiled video capabilities for its mobile app so users can capture, share and edit videos up to 30 seconds long, with instant playback all within the Twitter app. Twitter kicked things off with Twitter power user, Neil Patrick Harris, sharing breaking Oscar news:

Check out my Twitter video #Oscar exclusive! I gots me a scoop! pic.twitter.com/SGQ3oJHDqZ

— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) January 27, 2015

Think of how this new feature brings new storytelling power to a 140 character tweet, whether it be from an event, company meeting or new product demo.

Instagram also offers companies another cost-effective way to visually share a brief story through video. Instagram videos can be up to 15 seconds in length and enhanced with one of 13 filters, and there are a million different ways to use them. Check out this clever behind-the-scenes look New York real estate company The Corcoran Group created for an open house:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

59 East 82nd Street, Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York

A post shared by The Corcoran Group (@thecorcorangroup) on Sep 10, 2013 at 1:18pm PDT

Then there's Vine, one of the first short form video sharing services, for looping 6-second clips. Both Instagram and Vine enable users to upload and edit longer videos vs. having to film in real-time, allowing for a more polished look, like this one by Toyota:

Find your #perfectsurf in a #4Runner. #KeepItWild wherever the #waves are calling.

And finally, more brands are starting to explore Snapchat Stories as a home for their videos of real-time events. With Snapchat Stories brands can link together numerous 10 second videos to share a story from an eventful day. Just last week, Snapchat launched a brand channel feature called “Discover,” and AT&T and Snapchat announced an original, scripted series that will be released through Discover. This new video venue could be a great opportunity for brands of all kinds to share video, scripted or otherwise.

Slice and Dice Your Investment

We have written about the art of repurposing content in the past, and the same rules apply for video. With the plethora of shorter video options now available, think about how you can creatively slice and dice your longer videos to create new meaningful content that captures the attention of your target audiences. If you are making an investment in developing a two-minute explainer video, take the time to think upfront about how it could be repackaged for other video sharing platforms. Here are a few ideas:

• Upload a clip (or several) to Vine or Instagram. A two-minute demo or interview could be transformed into weeks of content on these micro-video sites. Turn it into a mini-series to build the suspense before releasing the whole video on your site or YouTube channel.
• Turn it into a GIF. There are plenty of tools out there to easily turn your original videos into a fun GIF, and YouTube's slowly rolling out a tool of its own.
• Turn freeze frames into image shares on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook. Just because it started its life as video doesn't mean it can't be a fantastic photo share as well.

Distribute Strategically to Reach Far and Wide

If you are making the investment to develop a corporate video, think about how it could be used for other purposes (which may or may not require further editing). For instance Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube can all be effective tools to give your video a wider audience. Other strategies you could consider are linking to your video in the footer of your emails (links to videos in emails have a 96% greater chance of being clicked), incorporating your videos into relevant newsletters and repurposing videos for trade shows, sales presentations and partner meetings.

Tap the Power of Paid Syndication

We've talked a lot about ways to maximize your owned video in 2015, but what about your earned video coverage? If 2015 brings you a few stellar broadcast features in the media, this may be your year to tap into the power of paid syndication. Whether you are using the “boost” services on Facebook and Twitter or taking advantage of a video recommendation engine platform like Taboola, a paid syndication program can take your content to a broader audience and ultimately drive traffic to your site.

So what are you waiting for? Advancements in video technology are making it easier than ever to effectively use videos to tell your company's story. Say “ACTION”and get the cameras rolling.